Travellers put their caravans on newly refurbished Walsall sports pitches
Travellers have set up camp at a sports pitch that only recently reopened to the public after a £475,000 project to remove contaminated soil and improve the facility.
It is the second time in nine months that travellers have been spotted at Broadway West Playing Fields, in Walsall.
Enforcement officers have arranged to visit the site following reports from residents in the area that at least eight caravans and accompanying cars were parked there.
Mohammed Yasin, of the Broadway West Playing Fields Working Group, said: "Travellers have set camp on Broadway West Playing Fields for the second time within a nine month period.
"As I understand it there are four gipsy and traveller sites in the borough and they should set up camps there not causing problems at our community amenities. The playing fields recently had a £400,000 revamp to bring the site back for public and ball game use.
"A further £75,000 was approved in this council budget for the building and parking area.
"Only last month it was officially opened by the council to be used by the local community after a long campaign over many years.
"At the moment an archery group use the site every week and it will be available for football later this year and cricket next year."
He added the group were believed to have moved onto the ground near the Walsall to Birmingham railway line off Wallows Lane, in Bescot, on Thursday evening.
The pitch was reopened by Mayor of Walsall Councillor Mohammad Nazir last month.
Walsall Council spokesman Richard Bolton said: "We are aware of the travellers at the fields. Checks are being carried out at the present time."
Work is currently under way to lay a new cricket pitch at the site.
Ball games have not been played there since 2003 after routine soil examinations revealed significant levels of dangerous metals. A major clean up operation was finally carried out last year to install an engineering cap and new topsoil.
